'An Account of the Scotch money'

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An Account of the Scotch money.

The Scots ever since a treaty between them and the English in order to a union in the reigh {sic} of K. Iames ye 1st have coyned their silver monies of the same standard with the English, vizt 11 ounces 2 penny weight fine & eighteen penny weight {illeg}allay. For wch end they have indented trial pieces sent from hence of the same placte with those made for the English Mint. The standard Troy weights by wch they coyne are also made at or Mint at ye same time with ors by common consen{illeg}t of both Mints and our pound Troy is greater then theirs by four penny weight and nine grains of ours. {sic}. And {illeg}as we divide or ounce Troy into {illeg}62 pence so they divide their ounce Troy into 62 shillings (for their shillings in this recconing answer to or pence) excepting that they make their money lighter by four in consideration of the charge of coynage and to prevent the melting down of their money, they make their money lighter by four shillings in the pound wei sixty (as I am informed:) so that 60 shillings of their money are to their ounce Troy as 56 to 62 or 28 to 31 and by consequence ought to weigh 425$\frac{\mathrm{20}}{\mathrm{31}}$ grains (or 17dwt 17$\frac{\mathrm{20}}{\mathrm{31}}$gr) of our pound Troy (as I find by triall they do) & to be worth 55 {illeg}English pence wanting the the {sic} 48th part of a penny. The experiments we have made of the weight & fineness of their money are as follows.

Pieces coyned	Date	Kings reign	Fineness	Weight		Value
				s	gr	s	d
A two-Mark piece	1673	Cha: II	Worse vijdwt	175		1.	9$\frac{\mathrm{7}}{\mathrm{8}}$
A Mark piece	✱	Cha: II	Worse vij	86		0.	10$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$
Another Roettiers	1675	Cha: II	Worse ij	102		1.
A half Mark piece	61665	Cha: II	Worse iij ob	42		0.	5$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{4}}$
A three pound piece	1681	Cha II	Worse iiij	416		4.	4$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$
Another —	1682	Cha II	Worse iij	425		4.	6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{6}}$
Another —	1691	Wm & Ma.	sta.	425		4.	6$\frac{\mathrm{9}}{\mathrm{10}}$
A forty shillings piece	1687	Iac. II	not assayed	284		✱	✱
Another —	1688	Iac II	sta	283		3.	0$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$
Another —	1689	Wm & Ma	sta	284		3.	0$\frac{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another —	1694	Wm & Ma	sta	284		3.	0$\frac{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another —	1695	Wm	sta: scant	284		3.	0$\frac{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another —	1695	Wm	Worse iij	283		3.	0

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Another	Gul	291669	sta.	284	53.	{illeg}0$\frac{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another	Gul	1696	worse ij	283	3.	0$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{6}}$
A twenty shillings piece	Gul	1695	sta.	142	1.	6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another	Gul	16965	sta.	142	1.	6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{3}}$
Another	Gul	1696	sta. scant	142	1.	6$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{3}}$
A ten shillings piece	Ia. II	1687	sta	71	0.	9$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{6}}$
Another	Iac. II	✱	sta	71	0.	9$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{6}}$
Another	Gul	1695	not assayd	71	✱.	✱
Another	Gul	1695	sta	71	0.	9$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{6}}$
Another	Gul	1695	sta	68	0.	8$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$
A five shillings piece	Gul	✱	wors {sic} 1dwt	35	0.	4$\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$

The two Mark the Mark and the half Mark pieces coyned before the year 1675 are bad work & c{illeg}onsiderably coarser then standard: for which reason they were called in neare the end of that reign and are no longer current.

The sixty, forty twenty ten & five shillings-pieces coyned since are better money & make up the bulk of the money wch now (viz anno 1697) comes out of Scotland. Those coyned in the reigns of King Iames & King William are well sized. Most of their money here examined is standard none too fine some too coarse so that one piece wth another it may be recconed above an half penny weight worse then standard.

The Scots now pay their shillings for our pence in the borders of Scotland & putt off or crown pieces for 65 & sometimes 66 of their shillings in Scotland (as I am credibly informed:) wch being an advantage of 8 or 10 per cent has filled the borders of England with their money and Scotland with ours. And the carrying on of this trade hath or might have in time prompted them to melt down our money had not & carry it to their Mint had not or enquiry into this matter now put an end to it by the Lords of ye Treary ordering the LordsReceivers to refuse their money.

If the Scotch money were all coyned of a just weight & Allay 11s 9d of such money would be worth 10d$\frac{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{4}}$ of ors. But considering that some pieces of their money are too light & others too course & that their money is more easily counterfeiters then ors, we may receive their 10s pieces for nine pences & their 45s pieces for four pence halfpennies & their Mark & half mark pieces (when ever they shall coyne any more) for shillings & six pences, and <3r> so proportionally of their other pieces of money. For these are round recconings fit for use and approach the true value of their money most neary {sic}.